Core Insights - Pakistan has officially embraced crypto regulation by passing the Virtual Assets Act 2026, marking a significant policy shift in the country's financial history [1][6] - The law establishes a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and virtual asset service providers (VASPs), legitimizing one of the world's largest informal crypto markets [2][3] Regulatory Framework - The Virtual Assets Act 2026 defines virtual assets broadly, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, NFTs, and tokenized securities, which can be traded or used for payments [3] - The law creates the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) as an autonomous regulator to oversee the crypto ecosystem [4][6] PVARA's Authority and Responsibilities - PVARA is empowered to issue, suspend, or revoke licenses for crypto exchanges, custodians, wallet providers, and token issuers [7] - The authority will set standards for investor protection, risk management, cybersecurity, and operational resilience [7] - PVARA will enforce compliance with global anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) standards, coordinating with other financial regulatory bodies [4][7] - The regulator will conduct market surveillance to prevent manipulation and insider trading, while also advising the government on emerging areas like tokenization and blockchain innovation [7]

LATEST: 🇵🇰 Pakistan's recently passed Virtual Assets Act introduces criminal penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of up to $179,000 for unlicensed crypto operations. https://t.co/PhuXTLHiNP ...

LATEST: 🇵🇰 Pakistan's parliament has passed the Virtual Assets Act, establishing the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority as the country's official crypto licensing body. https://t.co/DZBpu79DDH ...

Pakistan’s parliament has passed the Virtual Assets Act, establishing a formal regulatory framework for digital assets and creating the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) to license and supervise crypto businesses. The law introduces requirements for virtual asset service providers, market oversight, and AML/CFT compliance. https://t.co/OKkkY2YUna ...

Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) said crypto exchange KuCoin is operating without the required license and must stop offering services in Dubai. The regulator also warned that KuCoin promotions or marketing have not been approved and advised residents to avoid the platform. https://t.co/INP8E6d54N ...

🇵🇰 LATEST: Pakistan passes the Virtual Assets Act 2026, creating the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority PVARA. https://t.co/45YYFagEGP ...

🇦🇪 LATEST: Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority issues an alert against KuCoin, ordering the exchange to cease unlicensed activities. https://t.co/R3lPMLXHCy ...

WuBlockchain Weekly: Hong Kong unveils three new virtual-asset measures; Trend Research exits ETH with $869M loss; London Stock Exchange Group to roll out on-chain settlement; Chinese banks told to curb U.S. Treasury holdings; Bithumb’s 620,000 BTC payment error; High-court hearing set for 60,000 BTC laundering case; Goldman Sachs holds $1.1B in crypto ETFs and More https://t.co/qWDkW5IPNX ...

Julia Leung on Hong Kong's Three New Virtual Asset Regulatory MeasuresOn Feb 11, SFC CEO Julia Leung announced three new initiatives at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 to build a regulatory framework. First, brokers can provide margin financing to creditworthy clients using securities or virtual assets (initially BTC and ETH).Second, a framework will allow platforms to offer perpetual contracts, currently limited to professional investors, emphasizing transparent rules.Third, restrictions on affiliated market make ...

📰 #AscendEX Daily Updates🔷Trump praises the non-farm payrolls report and reiterates his call for the Fed to slash interest rates to the "lowest in the world."🔷Bank Negara Malaysia announces the launch of a regulatory sandbox for stablecoins and asset tokenization trials.🔷Hong Kong optimizes virtual asset supervision, incorporating Bitcoin and Ethereum as eligible collateral for securities margin financing.#AscendEX #Crypto #CryptoNews ...